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Biden administration reviewing old authorizations for military force

There is bipartisan pressure from Congress to repeal the September 11 and Iraq War era authorizations following a US airstrike in Syria that was approved without congressional approval.

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Defense Undersecretary for Policy Christine Wormuth and Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of the US Central Command, testify at the House Armed Services Full Committee hearing on "The President's Proposed Authorization for Use of Military Force Against ISIL and US Policy, Strategy and Posture in the Greater Middle East" in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 3, 2015, in Washington, DC. President Obama is asking Congress for approval on his war against the Islamic State. — Gabriella Demczuk/Getty Images

US President Joe Biden is considering repealing War on Terror era authorizations on the use of military force amid pressure on Capitol Hill.

The White House is conducting a review of the government’s authorizations for the use of military force, an administration official told Al-Monitor on Monday. The National Security Council is leading the review and considering past strategies in light of new terrorism threats. Biden established interim guidelines on the use of military force when he took office, the official said.

The official added that it is too soon to comment on what policy changes may come out of the president’s review, but they pledged to work with both parties in Congress on the issue.

The comments followed a US airstrike in Syria that received criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. On Feb. 25, Biden approved bombing the Iraqi militias Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada at a border facility in eastern Syria. The administration blamed the Iran-backed groups for recent attacks on US forces in neighboring Iraq.

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